Berth pan structure



April 27, 1954 J. w. PATToN ETAYL BERTH PAN STRUCTURE Filed July 30, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY April 27, 1954 J. w. PATToN l-:T AL

BERTH PAN STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Filed July 30, 1948 wmlwui mmw w W MQMQHWMWMMMWM ,INI t :UWM H r L o mi April 27, 1954 J. w. PAT-roN ET AL 2,675,333

BERTH PAN STRUCTURE Filed July 30, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS Jak WP o April 27, 1954 J. w. PATTON ET AL 2,676,333

BERTH PAN STRUCTURE Filed July 30, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Apr. 27, n1954 BERTI-I PAN STRUCTURE John W. Patton, Philadelphia,

Jr., New Milford, N. J., assignors W. Holland,

Pa., and Cropper to American Car and Foundry Company, New York, N..V Y., a corporation of New `lerseykv Application July 30, 1948, Serial No. 41,484

7 Claims.

This invention relates to berths and particularly to the structure of berth pans for folding berths used in sleeping oar, ship or other small bedrooms.

The trend in modern sleeping car accommodations is toward the more general provision of private bedrooms equipped with one or more berths. A large number of these berths are of the folding type and may be mounted either crosswise or lengthwise of the car bedroom. `Due to the particular conditions under which such berths are installed and used, the structure of the berth pan and its support are often important factors to be taken into consideration.

It is an object of this invention to provide a folding berth pan structure having a bottom cover plate that is extended to curve upwardly around its pivoted side to form an upstanding marginal side wall for the pan structure. n

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding berth pan structure ofthe type described in which the extended portion of the bottom cover plate presents a smooth unbroken eX- terior finish surface for the lower side corner of the pan structure when in its stored position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a folding berth pan structure as above described in which the extended portion of the bottom cover plate is reinforced for attachment thereto of a bedding retainer for the berth structure.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional View taken through a sleeping car room showing the folding berth in prone position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional View through the pivotal mounting for the berth taken on line 2-2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, part of the false bottom being broken away to better disclose the pan structure.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vsectional View taken on line 4 4 of Figure 3 showing the releasable berth support engaged in the recess and slot means.

Figure 5 is a sectional View through the Vpivoted side of the berth taken on line 5 5 of Figure 3, certain parts thereof being broken away to better disclose other parts and the upper portion of the room walls being broken away and moved down to more clearly show the relationship and arrangement of the parts.

Figure 6 is a side elevational viewtaken on` line 55,

2 6 6 of Figure 3 and showing the folding berth in prone position.

Figure 7 is an enlarged front view of the recess and slot means taken on line 1 7 of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a View taken on line 8 8 of Figure l but showing the berth in its vertical stored position.

Referring new more particularly to the drawings, the folding berth 8 is shown as installed in a sleeping car generally indicated at l having side walls l2, ill, Window I6, side aisle i8, aisle wall .it provided with a door 22, floor 23 and roof 35. i?, aisle Wall 2G, transverse end Wall 24 and a similar opposite transverse wall (not shown). The room is provided with a closet 26 extending part way along its aisle side between the aisle wall 2t and closet wall 28, and with a seat 30 of any suitable type such as that shown. The invention is shown as embodied in an upper crosswise berth installed in a side aisle ear, but this is merely for purposes of illustration since it may also be embodied in lower berths or lengthwise berths and used in cars of the central aisle type.

The upper berth il is pivotally mounted between the car side wall I2 and closet wall 2B to fold between a horizontally extending prone position and a storage position Where it extends vertically oi the transverse wall 24. An overhanging canopy member 29 projects from the upper portion of the transverse wall 24 immediately beneath the Vroom ceiling 3|. member ly unbroken room wall surface.

The berth 8 comprises a pan structure formed of upstanding marginal end walls d2 with an upstanding marginal side wall 45 welded to one end thereof. The marginal side Wall 46, which forms the side of the berth pan structure that is free to swing, is bent or bowed at its ends as shown at 48 in Figure 3 to provide clearance for opening of the door 22 when the berth is in prone walls d2, 46 are preferably made of sheet metal formed with a bulb or beaded top edge d8 and with inwardly extending relatively short base The bedroom is bounded by the car side Wall l flanges 50 to the under faces of which is secured by welding a sheet metal bottom cover plate 5ft. At the pivoted side of the berth pan structure, as shown in Figure 5, the bottom cover plate 5t is continued to curve upwardly as indicated at b4 and extended beyond the top edges i8 of walls 42, it as indicated at "il, to form the opposite upstanding marginal side wall for the pan structure. The plate ell thus in eiect constitutes a flange integral with the side wall E4, 'H of suin cient length and width to extend beneath and be secured to the relatively short base flanges ell of end walls 4?; and the opposite side wall 46 to form the bottom cover of the berth pan. The pan structure is reinforced by side and end Vil-shaped angle members 32, 311, respectively, connected 'together at their adjacent ends by angle pieces Se secured thereto by rivets 38 and having their upright ilanges Mi welded to the inner faces of the upstanding marginal walls. The side angle member 32 at the free side of the pan structure is bent to conform with the contour of the bowed side marginal wall di?. The iN-shaped angle members 52, Sli also have their horizontal flanges 58 welded to the inner 'face of the bottoni cover plate 5d, which is additionally stiiiened by laterally extending ribs til of inverted V shape similarly welded to the inside face of the bottom cover plate.

pstanding counterbalance anchor castings lil having an angle-shaped base attaching portion @d are secured by rivets B2 at the pivoted side oi the berth pan to the inside of opposite corners formed by the upright flanges llt of side and end angle members 3i, 35.., marginal end walls i and the extended portion @d of bottom cover plate The beaded edge @il of the'marginal end walls is cut away at this region to permit proper appii cation of the anchor castings 58, the attaching base portions to being formed to rit up against the upright flanges lll of side and end angle members t2, 365 with their outer face-s lying nosh therewith. A false bottom plate Gli is removably attached by screws *88 to and supported on the horizontal legs 'is of the side and end angle members 32, 3d. The part 'il of the extended portion Eli or bottom cover plate Ell extending beyond the top edge fill` of marginalend walls iii is stiffened byv a reinforcing plate 'l2 secured to its inner face by rivets 'lli for a purpose later 'to be described.

rlhe pivot pin mounting pan structure comprises a relatively heavy angle member le having its horizontal leg le, as viewed in Figure 2, secured by rivets et to the horizontal leg 'id or opposite the inner or pivoted side or the berth pan. The vertical leg 82 of these angle members it is secured by rivets 8d to the upright vertical nange t4 of end angle members 34E and to the marginal end walls 52. The pivot structure is reinforced by a spacer plate il@ interposed between the vern tical leg 2 of member le and marginal end wall 42, each of which is 'formed with aligned openings, indicated at -for the reception of a pivot pin Sil. The pivot pin is held in place by a retainer or anchor plate s2 welded to the inner end of the pin and secured to the pivot structure by bolts 94.

The pivot pins Sli) are journalled in bearing members 5 secured by bolts 538 in the proper location on the opposite walls l2, 25 or the room. The bearing members are formed with a central cylindrical portion lil@ lined with a bushing 9&2 through which the pins Qt extend. The berth pan structure is maintained in spaced relation to for the folding bei-th end angle members adjacent bearing members 9b at opposite sides of the room by Iwashers it, itt interposed between the bearing members 96 and the upstanding marginal end walls d2.

When the berth is in the horizontal prone position, its free side is supported at the outer end by a ledge member lil secured by screws il@ to the car side wall l2, and at its inner end by a supporting link H2. lThe supporting link H2 is pivoted at one end, as indicated at llt in Figure 6, to a bracket Ht secured by rivets H3 to the horizontal leg 'is of bowed side angle member 32. The link i l2 is bent, as shown in 'Figure 3, to conform generally to the contour of the bowed end portion of the swingable side of the berth pan structure, with its opposite or free end adapted to be inserted through a slot ll formed in recess casting l2? secured by screws |263 to closet wall 2%. As shown in Figure 4, the free end oi link il? is provided at one side with a notch ib engageable `with the upstanding lip 42e forming the bottom of slot 52o in the recess casting 22 to releasably support the swingable side of the berth when it is in prone position. rEhe free end or link l i2 is also formed at its opposite side with a second notch itil with which a latch member il'pivoted at itil to recess casting is adapted to be engaged or retaining the link in berth sup-- porting position. 'lhe latch member S32 is provided with iinger actuated handle portions and a stop i3S formed on recess casting 22 for limiting pivotal movement of the latch beyond notch engaging position.

The berth pan structure is equipped with counterbalance devices, one at each end of the pivoted side o the berth, and generally indicated at ille. The counterbalance devices each coniprise a tubular part ill-i?. p-ivoted at idd to the anchor castings 5% and a cylindrical part itil pivoted at it@ to bracket 56 secured by screws E52 to the transverse room wall 2t. These parts are arranged in telesccping relation with a coil s; ist interposed between them, the spring seing installed under sufficient initial compression to exert a force capable of counterbalancing the weight oi the berth structure and permit its easy and controlled operation. The berth structure is also provided at its p'ivoted side vzfi'th a bedding retainer it@ pivotally connected means oi a piano 55 to the by type spring hinge upper edge portions of bottom cover plate extension ll and reinforcing plate l2. The upper portion of reinorcing plate "2 is cut et. recessed, to permit sandwic or the b lce hinge 15S between the plate coer plate extension li, where it is secure place by rivets lt. The bedding retainer l" held in operative position by rollers ea thereby and riding on wear strips 62 secured screws ist to transverse wall The berth structure be retained in its stored position by any suitable or desired type of latch means, but such means has not been shot-,fn or described since it forms no part of the present invention.

The invention may be modified in variou spects as will occur to those skilled in the art and exclusive use of allrnodincations as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated. The claims to the support and mounting ior the berth pan structure of the present application are contained in our copending divisional appliF cation Serial No. 170,854 filed June 28, 1950.

What is claimed is:

1. A berth pan structure comprising upstanding means formed to provide one portion of a peripheral wall therefor having a bottom ange extending inwardly from the wall, and plate means having one portion thereof secured to said bottom flange and forming a bottom cover for the pan structure, the other portion of said plate means extending upwardly above the top of and cooperating with said upstanding means-to form the remaining portion of the peripheral wall.

2. A berth panV structure comprising upstanding means forming one portion of a peripheral wall therefor, plate means having one portion secured to the bottom of said upstanding means and forming a bottom cover for the pan structure, the other portion of said plate means extending upwardly above the top of and cooperating with said upstanding means to form the remaining portion of the peripheral wall, and reinforcing means secured to the upwardly extending portion of said plate means above the top of said upstanding means to provide for an attachment for a bedding retainer.

3. A berth pan structure comprising upstanding side and end walls having inwardly extending bottom fianges, one of said side walls extending beyond the tops of said endwalls and the opposite side wall, the bottom ange of said extending side wall being of suiicient length and width to extend beneath and be secured to the other of said bottom flanges to form a bottom cover for the pan structure.

4. A berth pan structure comprising upstanding side and end walls, said end walls and one of said side Walls each being provided with an inwardly extending relatively kshort bottom flange, the other of said side walls extending beyond the tops of said end walls and first-named side wall, and a relatively long inwardly extending bottom flange on said other sidewall extending beneath and secured to said short bottom anges to form a bottom cover for the pan structure.

5. A berth pan structure comprising upstanding end walls, an upstanding side wall secured to said end Walls at one side of the pan structure, a plate member secured to the bottoms of said side wall and end Walls forming a bottom cover `:for the pan, said plate member having a portion extending upwardly around and above the tops f forming the bottom cover for the pan.

6. A berth pan structure comprising upstanding end walls and a side wall each having a bottom flange extending inwardly therefrom, and plate means having one portion thereof secured to said bottom flanges of said upstanding end walls and side Wall forming a bottom cover for the pan structure, the other portion of said plate means extending upwardly above the tops of and cooperating with said upstanding end walls to form the opposite upstanding side wall of said berth pan structure.

7. A berth pan structure comprising upstanding side and end walls having inwardly extending bottom lianges, the bottom flange of one of said side walls being relatively short and forming a right angle therewith, the bottom ange of the other of said side walls being curved transversely along one edge and of sucient length and width to extend beneath the other bottom anges to form a bottom cover for the pan structure, and means securing said bottom cover flange to the other bottom flanges.

`References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 711,466 Bronson Oct. 21, 1902 787,797 Schliepmann Apr. 18, 1905 847,582 Johnson Mar. 19, 1907 957,240 Naugle May 10, 1910 1,359,637 'Iranis et a1 Nov. 23, 1920 2,224,727 Friede Dec. 10, 1940 2,229,608 Ragsdale et al Jan. 21, 1941 2.297,602 Woller Sept. 29, 1942 2,531,687 Jones Nov. 28, 1950 2,541,540 Patton Feb. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 30,488 Germany Feb. 25, 1885 

